London, July 17: Ahead of the anniversary of its Bloody Friday bombing campaign in Belfast 30 years ago, the Irish Republican Army offered an unprecedented apology for hundreds of deaths the banned outfit had caused over the years. In a surprise gesture, the IRA said: "We offer our sincere apologies and condolences to the families of those killed in the Belfast operation in 1972. It is therefore appropriate on the anniversary of this tragic event, that we address all of the deaths and injuries of non-combatants caused by us."
The apology marks the anniversary of Bloody Friday when the IRA detonated 21 bombs killing nine people and injuring scores in Belfast on 21 July 1972.

"We acknowledge the grief and pain of their relatives. The future will not be found in denying collective failures and mistakes or closing minds and heart to the plight of those who have been hurt. That includes all of the victims of the conflict, combatants or non-combatants," it said in a statement in the An-Phoblacht (Republican News) on Tuesday.
Welcoming the apology, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said, "the statement by the IRA is a significant contribution to the process of consolidating peace and reconciliation". Bureau Report